Exploring the Bunker
by luluelm
Summary: These are just some snippets of things Charlie has noticed about the Winchester's lifestyle when she has visited the bunker… simply because I take pleasure in imagining how the boys deal with mundane situations. Enjoy!
1. Sam's Study Area

Sam's bedroom was dull and bare. It was clear he just used it as a place to sleep, but Charlie found his real space in the library. He had rearranged some of the bookshelves and made a little study corner for himself with a desk and his own Wi-Fi router. He filled the bookshelves with all his favorite reference books and his go-to translation keys. The larger tables in the library that Sam and Dean shared were strewn with research for whatever current big bad they were chasing, but Sam's own desk was neatly organized with his own personal projects. He was working on three major projects at the moment, cataloging the artifacts from the men of letters, teaching himself Japanese so he could read a book salvaged from Bobby's house, and recording Dean and his own misadventures. Charlie had begged to read Sam's hunting journal when she had figured out what he was doing, but Sam insisted he needed to keep _some_ secrets from her. She supposed that was fair since she _had_ read their entire life stories and Dean had filled her in on the rest.


	2. Salt

Sam's bedroom was dull and bare. It was clear he just used it as a place to sleep, but Charlie found his real space in the library. He had rearranged some of the bookshelves and made a little study corner for himself with a desk and his own Wi-Fi router. He filled the bookshelves with all his favorite reference books and his go-to translation keys. The larger tables in the library that Sam and Dean shared were strewn with research for whatever current big bad they were chasing, but Sam's own desk was neatly organized with his own personal projects. He was working on three major projects at the moment, cataloging the artifacts from the men of letters, teaching himself Japanese so he could read a book salvaged from Bobby's house, and recording Dean and his own misadventures. Charlie had begged to read Sam's hunting journal when she had figured out what he was doing, but Sam insisted he needed to keep _some_ secrets from her. She supposed that was fair since she _had_ read their entire life stories and Dean had filled her in on the rest.

The kitchen was another place the brothers unique lifestyle was extremely apparent. One night when Charlie was in search of some peanut butter to dip her Oreos in (delicious by the way) she discovered where they kept their salt. The industrial sized kitchen was really two big for just two people so, other than the fridge, freezer, and one cupboard witch held food, every other cabinet was _filled_ with salt. Great big bags of road salt and smaller packages of table salt were crammed in to every spare inch.

"Dean?" Charlie had called out to Dean in the next room.

"Yeah?" He responded, shortly.

"Why is there so much salt in the kitchen?"

Dean stepped into the doorway of the room. "Well we do use a lot in our line of work."

"I understand," Charlie said "but this seems like overkill even for you guys."

Dean looked down and shrugged sheepishly.

"Dean!?" Charlie had to know what that look was about.

"It was on sale, alright!" He crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "You don't have to laugh so hard!"

Indeed, Charlie couldn't catch her breath for laughing. More than Dean's hilarious expression, the thought of Sam and Dean rolling up to some poor cashier with cart after cart filled with bags of salt cracked her up. They must have thought Christmas had come early. Salt was on sale!


	3. Steak?

Charlie noticed something else in the kitchen that led her to a more somber discovery. She had noticed in the freezer the Winchester kept a lot of steak. When she and Sam were taking a break from studying to get snacks she commented on it. She was hoping for another funny anecdote, maybe get Sam to start bitching about Dean's unhealthy love of red meat.

"They're for black eyes." Sam answered her simply.

He continued when he saw Charlie's slightly surprised expression, "We tend to get banged up and it's hard to have a good cover story on the next hunt if we've still got a huge black and blue shiner. Steaks work so we try to keep them stocked up."

Charlie nodded her head while looking from Sam to the freezer. Seeing the boys so relaxed here in their new home it was easy to forget how often they actually suffered from injuries. They were lucky on the hunts when all they needed was a steak to help bring down the swelling of a black eye. If Cas hadn't healed them so often their bodies probably would have been one huge scar by now.

She was brought out of her thoughts by Sam's voice.

"I should show you the rest of our emergency medical supplies. It's good for you to know in case you ever need anything or you can help when we get hurt." Sam started leading her up to the first level.

"Oh wow." Charlie's eyebrows shot up as Sam switched on the light to the room about the size of a large walk in closet located near the bunker's entrance. Sam just leaned against the doorjamb letting her take it all in, looking cocky. Every wall was lined with bookshelves and every shelf was crammed with medical supplies. One entire bookcase was just rolls of gauze. Some things, like all the gauze, were clearly medical and marked with red crosses, other things Charlie wasn't so sure about until Sam explained.

They had found hedge clippers were the best for removing casts. They had boxes of fishing wire that were for stitches. It was stronger and easier to use and remove than thread and was very cheap. Sam explained their father used a regular sewing needle for stiches so they still had those, but Sam and Dean both found they preferred small fishing hooks instead because they were curved much like actual doctors needles. Again hooks were pretty cheap as well. They also kept a case of whiskey bottles that was strictly not for drinking and only to clean wounds. Sam admitted he thought Dean only left it alone because Dean was secretly hoping to let in age.


End file.
